Traveler
by Tell-Me-Tales
Summary: A string of sixteen one-hundred-word drabbles offering a peek into what might have been going through Stanford's mind shortly before and after stepping through the portal that brought him home. [Spans "Not What He Seems" & "A Tale of Two Stans"][Character Study][Drabble Collection][AO3 CrossPost]
~.~ 1 ~.~

Stepping from one dimension and into another is always a new experience. No matter how many times he has done so, or how much he has learned, there is always some new facet to each world that he has never encountered before. Sometimes, it is immediately apparent that the dimension is very different from any he could be fooled into thinking was the one he originally came from; other times, he spends weeks hoping that _this time_ he has finally returned "home."

He has learned to hate that hope, but he has never been able to let go of it.

~.~ 2 ~.~

The portal appears mere feet from him. At first, its sudden appearance startles Ford. It has been a while since he has encountered a dimensional-rift such as the one before him.

Nevertheless, he already knows what he will have to do. Somewhere out there in the multiverse, yet another Stan Pines is searching for his brother - and he has gone to extremely dangerous lengths to find him. It is Stanford's responsibility to fix the resulting damage, as best he can, before it has a chance to escalate any further. To do that, he will need to go to the source.

~.~ 3 ~.~

Ford takes a moment to make sure that he has all of his belongings. Traveling the multiverse means packing light, but there are certain essentials it would not do to leave behind and experience has taught him that there will likely be no coming back to collect them should he forget them the first time.

Once he is satisfied that he has everything of true value already on his person, Stanford takes a deep breath, closes his eyes, and walks through the tear in space-time. What comes next will be unpleasant, but necessary. He knows firsthand; he's done this before.

~.~ 4 ~.~

 _ **I'm sorry, Fiddleford!**_

No one should ever be _here_. No human, at any rate. They're just not built for the Between.

 _ **I'm sorry, Fiddleford!**_

Keep your eyes closed. Don't look. It would drive you mad. Hold your breath. There's no air to breathe here. Think as loudly as you can. Maybe you'll be able to drown out the _screaming_.

 _ **I'm sorry, Fiddleford!**_

The original portal technology had been so much cruder than it needed to be for safe interdimensional-travel. He hadn't known. Neither had Fiddleford. But Bill had.

 _ **I'm sorry, Fiddleford!**_

Bill had _designed_ it to be.

 _ **I'm sorry, Fiddleford!**_

~.~ 5 ~.~

Feeling his boots connect with solid ground again causes simultaneous relief and anxiety. The sight that greets him is one that he has seen many times before and yet does nothing to quell the troublesome hope buried within him. Experience has taught him how this will end, though, and he is not looking forward to it.

He's learned the hard way how best to approach acclimatizing to a new dimension, particularly ones that seem so much like home. Namely, he must be a scientist: methodical, objective, unattached. He cannot afford to think of any of this as _his_ , after all.

~.~ 6 ~.~

His first visual sweep reassures him that the likelihood of any immediate threats being present is low. His second sweep brings his attention to the journal lying on the floor. Time for test number one.

Bending down, Stanford places his hand over the cover. He's vaguely surprised when the outline matches perfectly. Six long, slim fingers and a wide, rounded palm. The thumb makes it obvious that it is the left hand that decorates the cover. It's just as it should be; it's only the first of many steps in the process of invalidating this universe as being his own.

~.~ 7 ~.~

Ford slips the journal into his coat; he'll be sure to read through its entries once he has the chance.

Voices draw his attention (and that's test number two passed: they speak English) back to the other people that are occupying the room: Stanley - of course, Stanley - but also Michael, Mabel, and Soos. He wonders in a vague sense how alike they will be to the other versions of themselves he has been able to meet. He promises himself that there will be time to find out later. (He isn't so sure he believes in even his own promises anymore.)

~.~ 8 ~.~

He greets this Stanley the same way he's greeted every version of Stanley for the past...ten years? Fifteen? It doesn't matter. What matters is it's _effective_.

One swift blow ensures that this Stan won't hover and dote and _interfere_. It ensures that he won't cling to a twin that isn't his.

It also helps to vent the _frustration_ that manifests whenever he encounters another version of Stan disregarding all efforts to safeguard the multiverse. (And there may also be a part of him that is angryhurtjealous that some _other_ Stanford has a brother trying so hard to save _him_.)

~.~ 9 ~.~

He feigns what he believes to be an appropriate level of surprise over having both a great-nephew and great-niece (Though who is to say if he really does or doesn't have such relations?) while inwardly he debates the likeliness of them _actually_ being Shermie's grandchildren rather than Stanley's.

Judging soley on the fact that this Mabel (and Michael, as well, to a certain extent) happens to look _very much_ like Carla, he's pretty confident in his conclusion that Stan is lying about their lineage. But that will be a problem for some other Stanford Pines to deal with, not him.

~.~ 10 ~.~

He's a bit relieved when he hears Mabel insist that her "Grunkle's" name is Stanford, not Stanley. Perhaps the search for proof will not be nearly so tedious as he feared. But then he sees Stan's face and he just _knows_.

He doesn't need to fake the ire over the stolen name. (Because although he is sure to make his displeasure over the reopened portals known, it's become so commonplace that he cannot summon the burning anger such actions truly deserve.) As he struggles to keep his vitriol in check, Stanford is sure that he already _hates_ this Stanley Pines.

~.~ 11 ~.~

How could _any_ version of his brother think that any version of _himself_ would accept such an injustice? Years working to put distance and difference between them, against the crushing disadvantages of sharing the same face and name, just to finally be seen as his own person instead of as part of a unit, and this Stanley has the gall to claim Stanford's _entire life_ as his own? To take everything that _his brother_ has earned? How could he do that? How could he possibly consider doing such a thing, let alone have the nerve to go through with it?

~.~ 12 ~.~

Stanford forces himself to remain silent as Stan spins the tale, listening as intently as the children to the story, hoping for some obvious discrepancy with his own past. He has the added advantage of being able to read all of Stanley's tells. It let's him know when Stan is stretching the truth or outright lying, as well as when he chooses to gloss over certain things. Stanford could make some educated guesses to fill in most, if not all, of the blank spots, but he doesn't bother.

(Let this Stan keep his secrets; Ford doesn't care enough to know.)

~.~ 13 ~.~

Ford pays careful attention to Stan as he gives his own clipped version of events, but it seems as though nothing he says comes as a surprise to the man. He keeps to the facts of his own past, but he doesn't delve into great detail. It wouldn't do to give any of them a more inaccurate impression of their Stanford Pines than is strictly necessary, after all.

A small part of him also worries over how poorly the Stanford that _belongs_ to this world would react upon discovering that his identity has been stolen not once, but _twice_ now.

~.~ 14 ~.~

The fact that Michael - or rather, "Dipper" - not only knows his old research partner, Fiddleford McGucket, but has the man's memory-erasing gun in his possession is certainly an interesting twist to things; unfortunately, it doesn't tell Stanford anything about the probability of this universe being his own. Still, it may be just what he needs in order to clean up the latest mess he's inherited.

It is shockingly easy to fool the assembled government flunkies into handing over all their data on Gravity Falls and Stanley. Honestly, if they are usually this inept, they don't deserve the badges they wear.

~.~ 15 ~.~

Ford watches as Stan orders the kids to bed and Soos leaves. He isn't eager for the coming exchange; the first private conversation between himself and his brother's counterparts is _always_ something of a disaster. It is both vaguely impressive and depressing whenever he reflects upon the varied ways he's experienced in which it can go poorly.

He's not so convinced he wants to put forth the effort with this Stan. Still, it's easier to burn a bridge than repair it; and Stanford is self-aware enough to know that he may come to have a different opinion given some time.

~.~ 16 ~.~

The conversation doesn't last very long, and it's just as unpleasant as Stanford had anticipated. It's a far cry from the worst he's experienced, but there is no denying that it could have gone better than it did.

 _"Fine, on one condition. You stay away from the kids. I don't want them in danger. Because as far as I'm concerned, they're the only family I have left."_

If that's how this Stanley wants to do things, that's fine by Stanford. He'll have less to worry about this way; so really, it ought to be a relief. Somehow, it simply isn't.


End file.
